Stop Expensive Funerals—Ngleshie Amanfro Chief

The people of Ngleshie Amanfro, a suburb of Accra have been asked by the Chief of the town, Nii Kwashie Gborlor IV, to stop expensive funerals that have become a norm in the community.

He charged them to cut down expenses on funerals to and save more for their children's education as well as other important family needs.

The chief further urged the people to focus more on the living than the dead, saying those expensive funerals cannot bring back the dead to life. Instead, that practice has rather negative effects on the finances of the people.

These concerns were raised in a close up interview at the palace of the chief when a representative of Journalists In Development (JID), Kojo Aidoo visited him.

According to the chief, the people in the community acquire different clothes for different days of the funeral instead of the old traditional black or red clothes that were used throughout funeral occasions.

He regretted that today the people compete with each other during funeral celebrations with clothes, food, sounds, make ups, hair styles, among others just for a show off.

"As a perfect example, my family and I have decided to complete all arrangements of any funeral on Saturday. Then on Sunday, we all go to church for thanksgiving service, and depart afterwards to our various places", the chief explained. He further noted that by this arrangement, the funeral cost would be reduced drastically.

Nii Gborlo also bemoaned the decline of discipline in the community, as a result of children taking advantage of the funeral party that travels late in the night, thereby leading to teanage pregnancy in the community.

The chief cautioned adults who take advantage of funeral parties to stay out late to stop in order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding at home. He recalled a case he presided over involving a pregnant woman and a man, both natives of the town.

The woman had named the man as the man responsible for her pregnancy. He did well to prove his innocence and was eventually left off the hook after the chief took him through a short interview. Apparently, the lady in question had been involved in sexual aafairs with a man who attended a funeral not too long ago.

The said woman was left in a desperate situation of a fatherless unborn child.

Concluding, the chief called on the people to close funerals early enough to help maintain discipline and peace in the town.